“This is an important victory for Kansas, but also for every American who believes women should be able to make their own health decisions without government interference,” she tweeted.
In a separate statement, he urged Congress to “listen to the will of the American people” and pass a bill codifying the right to abortion.
Other states, including California and Kentucky, will vote on the issue in November, along with midterm elections, in which both Republicans and Democrats hope to rally supporters across the country around abortion.
Kansas votes to keep abortion rights
“Remarkable” result
Activists saw the amendment as an attempt to clear the way for an outright ban. A state legislator has already introduced a bill to ban abortion without exception, whether for rape, incest or risk to the life of the mother.
For Ashley All, spokesperson for the pro-abortion Kanseños for Constitutional Freedom campaign, Tuesday’s election result was “remarkable.” “Kansas understood that this amendment would require the government to control private medical decisions,” she said. .
Morgan Spoor, 19, voted for the first time, wanting to promote “the right to choose.”
“I really want to make my voice heard, especially as a woman. I don’t think anyone can say what a woman can do with her body,” she says.